Six Feet From the Edge
by Fire The Canon
Summary: Regulus served the Dark Lord blindly for years. And then he realised he was wrong. Regulus.


_**Written for .kilier's A Grimm Challenge. My story was A Jew Among Thorns.**_

_**Written for Uni Shall Not Sink's Song Fic Boot Camp using the prompt '"Six Feed From the Edge" by Creed'**_

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**Six Feet From the Edge**

The heart of the matter couldn't be more pertinent. He had spent the last two years serving the Dark Lord; doing his bidding, killing when he asked, torturing when he was told.

He'd meant it, of course – one could only use the Cruciatus Curse when they meant it – but he didn't think he meant it anymore.

Every time the Dark Lord requested he go somewhere, a sense of dread came over him. Would that mean another innocent Muggle would die? A child who barely realised they were alive, let alone inferior because they didn't possess magic?

He'd tortured a Muggleborn once. It hadn't been pleasant at all. The feeling had made him sick.

Bellatrix, his cousin, took pleasure in even the slightest bit of physical harm. She didn't even seem to care whom it was she tortured, as long as they hurt. She was the Dark Lord's favourite – she followed his orders blindly; and out of love and dedication at that.

"Regulus." His voice was cool and calm, as if he knew Regulus was afraid of him. Which – Regulus realised as he approached his master timidly – was why he had so many followers in the first place. It was why Regulus had joined. Partly from curiosity, partly out of fear.

Mostly out of fear, if he was being honest.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Is everything okay?"

Anybody else who may have asked that question might have been genuinely concerned for his wellbeing, but Regulus knew the Dark Lord was only concerned about his own plan – the plan Regulus no longer wanted to be part of.

"Yes," he answered confidently, disregarding that fact that the Dark Lord could get into his thoughts if he desired to.

His lips curled condescendingly, a hint of a cruel smile. "Very good. I have a new task for you, Regulus. An important one. I can only trust my most faithful servants with it."

Regulus' heart beat against his chest. No, he didn't want to do it. He wouldn't. "Of course, my Lord."

"There is an… errand I require of you, Regulus. An important one. You must tell no one – it may result in my death."

This piqued Regulus' attention. Result in his death? What could possibly kill someone so powerful?

"Ah, yes, I can see you are interested, Regulus." The Dark Lord showed no emotion. "There is a… _cup_..." With a wave of his wand, a small, gold goblet appeared before them. It was decorated in gems, and looked absolutely marvellous. Ancient, too. How could a cup result in his death?

"I can see you're confused, Regulus. Yes, of course. Well, just the other day, I fear that this cup may have been discovered. And I can't have that. So, Regulus, I am giving you and your cousin the task of hiding it."

"Hiding, my Lord?"

The Dark Lord nodded once. "Yes. Bellatrix knows of a place, but she cannot let others see. I will need you to… distract them, Regulus."

Distract? Hide a cup? The Dark Lord made it sound as if it were a life or death decision. How harmful could the goblet actually be?

"I'll do it, my Lord," he said, bowing his head.

"Very good, Regulus. I knew I could rely on you." He passed the goblet to Regulus, and the moment his fingers touched the cold metal, it was as if his whole body was on fire. The cup slipped from his hold, echoing as it rolled along the floor.

"Not _just a cup _anymore, is it, Regulus?" The Dark Lord sneered.

Regulus scrambled to get hold of the goblet again, ignoring the pain it caused him. "When shall we go, my Lord?"

"Now. Bellatrix?"

A delighted Bellatrix appeared through a door to Regulus' right. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Regulus is ready."

Bellatrix gave her cousin a wry smile. "This way," she instructed.

With the burning goblet in his hands, Regulus followed Bellatrix through the door, and out into the bleeding sunlight. The Dark Lord liked to keep everything dark. Regulus rarely saw the sun anymore.

"Keep it hidden," Bellatrix hissed, and Regulus chucked his cloak over the cup.

"Why does the Dark Lord care so much for it, anyway?" he wanted to know.

"It is not for us to question his bidding," Bellatrix snapped. She hurried along the busy street of Muggle London, hissing at Muggle passers-by whenever one looked their way. "Filth!"

They reached a spot that was invisible to the Muggles, but that Regulus and Bellatrix could see clearer than day. "I don't think hiding it in the Leaky Cauldron is what the Dark Lord had in mind," he said hesitantly as his cousin made her way through the door of the old pub.

"Of course not!" she said irritably.

Ignoring some _hellos_, Bellatrix walked straight to the back of the pub, and out the door, where she and Regulus came face-to-face with a brick wall. She tapped her wands against the wall until it had formed the arch Regulus had seen so many times before.

Not daring to question her, he followed blindly as she hurried through Diagon Alley, not even bothering to stop if someone was in her way.

Regulus still had no idea where she was going, but he was surprised to discover she was going into Gringotts Bank. She was planning on hiding the cup in there? It seemed like a waste of space to him.

"I'd like to enter my vault," Bellatrix said calmly, approaching the nearest goblin.

The goblin looked up, recognition in his eyes. "Key, Madam?" he asked.

Bellatrix handed over a tiny key which the goblin studied. "This way, Miss Black," he said, and hobbled from the room.

Their footsteps echoed noisily until the climbed into a carriage with the goblin was driving. Regulus had never been to his cousin's vault before, but he had heard it was much larger than his own. His Uncle Cygnus was a lot wealthier than his own father.

"And what would you like to withdraw from your vault today, Miss Black?" the goblin questioned.

"Oh, I won't be withdrawing anything today," Bellatrix answered. "I'll be… depositing."

The goblin looked intrigued, but didn't say anything. He continued to steer the cart until it came to a sudden halt in front of a huge door.

With the key in hand, the goblin waddled over to the door, opened it, and Regulus couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the piles of gold behind it. The Blacks were all fairly wealthy, but his vault definitely didn't consist of nearly half of the gold Bellatrix had.

She gave him a wry smirk.

"Your deposit, Miss?" The goblin stuck out his hand.

"Regulus."

Regulus unwrapped the cup, which had somewhat burnt a hole through his cloak, and passed it to the goblin. Like his reaction, the goblin fumbled it the moment his skin touched the metal, and gasped.

"Hide it somewhere," Bellatrix instructed, ignoring the creature's look of distress.

Goblins were proud creatures, but it seemed even this one didn't dare argue Bellatrix's obvious rank. He nodded, and then took it deep inside the vault, out of sight from both Bellatrix and Regulus.

"We must go now," Bellatrix said when the goblin returned. "The Dark Lord would not appreciate us dawdling.

Regulus nodded. "We'll never find out the significance of that goblet, will we?" he said on their way back through Diagon Alley.

"Shh!" Bellatrix hissed.

"He just expects us to do what he asks without telling us anything," Regulus argued.

"The Dark Lord should not be questioned! Now, stop talking, you fool. You'll get us both killed."

Regulus didn't say another word for the rest of journey back to reporting to his master, but his mind began working overtime. That goblet had to be important for the Dark Lord wanting it to be hidden. The only question was _why_ was it so important? Bellatrix may not have desired to know everything, but Regulus did. If he was going to serve the Dark Lord, he thought he had the right to know what he was getting into.

There were many nights where Regulus sat behind books, or wandered the streets, trying to discover his master's secret. If the Dark Lord knew what he was up to, he gave no indication. Perhaps he trusted Regulus. Perhaps he had no need to look into his mind.

Most likely, he just thought Regulus too afraid to defy him.

But Regulus had had enough. Yes, he still went on errands; he still went with his cousin, or Rabastan or Rodolphus. He still followed them blindly into unsuspecting Muggles' homes, watched them be tortured. He'd leave his master's mark above their house, and then he would slink into the night, a cackling Bellatrix not too far in front of him.

It was many months later that he finally came to the realisation as to why the goblet had been so important to the Dark Lord.

He'd been stewing over a book he'd manage to find in _Borgin & Burke's_ a few weeks ago when a word had come up.

_Horcrux_.

He'd heard of this, of course. His family had talked about it often, but he'd never thought anyone would consider such a terrible fate. He doubted even Bellatrix would wish that upon herself.

But… but the Dark Lord was different. Death scared him. If anyone was going to try and beat death, it would be his master.

So, the cup was a Horcrux. That much Regulus knew now, and through further investigation, he discovered there were more.

He had no way of getting into his cousin's vault again to destroy that one, but he'd located another one. Something his master had said once… something he didn't realise Regulus would question.

With his house-elf, Kreacher, they went to the cave where the locket sat. He wondered if the Dark Lord would realise it was gone once he found a way to destroy it. How many did he even have, Regulus found himself wondering as he stood before the bowl the Horcrux was inside.

"Master Regulus, let Kreacher drink from the bowl."

"No, Kreacher, it's something I must do myself." He studied the clear liquid. It looked like water, but he had no doubt it was more than that. "Kreacher… if anything is to happen to me… take the locket and Disapparate out of here."

"Master…" the house-elf tried to protest, but Regulus wouldn't hear of it.

"No, Kreacher. This is an order. You're to do as I say."

Kreacher bowed. "Yes, Master Regulus."

Regulus drank all of it, his awareness fading with each sip. He soon sunk into a daze the even Kreacher couldn't get him out of.

"Master… Master Regulus," the house-elf almost sobbed.

"Go… take it." He thrust the locket into Kreacher's hand. "Do as I say. And…." He waved his wand and a locket identical to the one Kreacher held appeared. "Put this there instead, Kreacher."

It was a struggle for Kreacher. He was torn between following an order and helping his beloved master. But the power of the order was stronger, and he grasped the Horcrux tightly to his chest, placing the fake in the bowl.

"Come back, Master Regulus," he said. "Kreacher will be waiting."

Regulus gave a short nod, and the house-elf vanished. The moment he was gone, a wet, wrinkly hand came up from the water, taking hold of his disillusioned body. Regulus didn't have the strength to fight it, and he let the thing drag him into the depths of the water.

In his last moments of consciousness, Regulus thought of his family. He thought of how proud his mother and father had been when he'd joined the Death Eaters. He thought of how little they had known of what the Dark Lord was really about.

He then thought of his brother. Sirius. Sirius hated him. He had ever since he'd made it clear his loyalties lie with their parents. They hadn't spoken in a year, and now he wondered where Sirius was now. He thought he'd read in the _Prophet_ he'd been best man to Lily and James Potter at their wedding. He'd seemed so happy in the photo he had seen.

He sank lower and lower into the dark void of the water, each thought becoming weaker and weaker.

Kreacher had the locket now; he was going to hide it. That was all that mattered. Even if he could not manage a way to destroy it, his house-elf could. Or someone would. The Dark Lord's secret would be discovered – of that he was sure.

He would die one day, and Regulus' only regret was that he wouldn't be the one to do it. But he hoped that whoever it was – whoever would kill him – would make it hurt. After all the pain and suffering his master had put others through, it was the least he deserved.

And with that, Regulus let go of his last bit of consciousness, sinking lower and lower until his body hit the bottom.

It was there that he stayed.

Forever and ever.

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_**I'm not used to writing darker characters, so this was a nice little challenge for me, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. When I looked how Regulus died, I found many various ways, so I take that as no one actually knows. If I'm wrong, please let me know, and I'll mark it as AU.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you like. Your reviews are much appreciated :D**_


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